Fixedly mounted load carriers of the type mentioned by way of introduction are previously known in the art. With such a load carrier in place, the rear door or rear hatch of the vehicle cannot be opened without the load carrier being dismounted.
In addition, holders or brackets for different types of loads such as spare wheels, petrol cans etc. have previously been secured directly to the rear hatch, boot lid or rear door of the vehicle. Load carriers pure and simple, designed for such mounting are also known in the art. With a holder or load carrier mounted in this manner, the load carrying capacity (or payload) will be extremely limited if the hinges and lock of the door or hatch are not to be overloaded and seriously damaged.
It is also previously known in the art to provide load carriers which are pivotally secured along one side of the vehicle so that they can be laterally swung out of the way when the rear hatch or rear door of the vehicle is to be opened. With this type of load carrier, special reinforcements are often required to the vehicle body where the load carrier is secured, since the oblique loading involved may become considerable.